Closer
by Teagen
Summary: Two years after peace has come to Konoha, Hinata Hyuuga's confidence has led her to make the biggest decision of her life: to confess to Naruto Uzumaki. So why is Kiba Inuzuka so worried? KibaxHina. Rated M for violence in later chapters.
1. The Beginning Of The Fall

--- !Author Nooooootes! ---

Mah first ever fanfic! Hope you're as excited as I am! XD

*EDIT* Whoops, forgot to mention a few things. First of all, for those die-hard manga fans out there who I KNOW will point out inconsistencies in relation to recent manga events, I began writing this before the events of chapter 437 (you know what I'm talkin' bout!).

Secondly, I've rated this fanfic M for later violence, and perhaps a bit of sexual content, so if you don't want to read it, best not start at all. I know I've been let down a few times by starting to read a new fanfic, only to find I'm not too keen on things that happen later on.

And finally, if you like the story and you want to keep reading, please add me to your favourites and/or alerts. Even better, feel free to leave a review; I'd definitely get the incentive to keep writing if I had some encouragement and criticism! :D *END OF EDIT*

Characters and places belong to Masashi Kishimoto, storyline and other random crap belong to me. Weeeoooooh!

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The Hyuuga clan was one of excellence and purity, rising high above the _other_ clans of Konoha. The Hyuuga name itself embodied both skill as a shinobi and status and power in the community. To be a part of the clan was to be deemed almost royalty.

Hinata Hyuuga, first-born child of the current clan leader Hiashi, was not considered as such. Though now a jounin and hailed as the greatest kunoichi to have been produced by the Hyuuga family, her clan looked down upon her as a weakling, the speck of dirt that tarnished the golden name.

Outside her window, the sun was shining. It was early in the morning, she guessed, and she knew that soon enough her younger sister would be knocking on her door, demanding on behalf of her father that she get up and train. The girl had been known to blow the door off its rails just by raising a hand to it; Hinata herself had to admit that Hanabi Hyuuga was a strong young kunoichi. Another part of her hated to admit that Hanabi would also be the most likely candidate to take their father's place as head of the clan.

With a small, hesitant sigh she pulled on her kunai belt and standard green jounin vest, tying her hair back into a long plait. She remembered the days when she'd worn her hair short, and cringed. They had been worse days, she recalled. It seemed like, as her hair had grown, she had grown too. The blue-black waterfall tickled the back of her thighs now and she knew that, sooner or later, the elders would tell her to cut it all off, claiming that it impaired her abilities as a shinobi.

She knew she would obey any order they gave her. She'd had enough confrontations with the elders in the past few years to solidify her obedience.

And yet, in herself she felt the confidence rising. This confidence did not relate to her clan or her right to lead, nor even her abilities as a ninja. But, rather, she felt confident enough to undertake the most terrifying mission she believed she had ever faced.

She would not be acting on a spur of the moment decision; Hinata was not one to be hasty. No, she had waited years to find the courage to confess to the one she admired most.

Today, she decided. Today, she would tell Naruto Uzumaki of her feelings.

But first she had to make it through training. And then she would talk to Kiba, because without his opinion she would do nothing.

Kiba Inuzuka. When Hinata thought of the popular, yet overused term 'best friend', Kiba came to mind. He was such a fun person to be around, always joking and laughing and making her smile. Being around him was a change from the constant air of discomfort she felt in her own home. She was often amazed when, after a long day of training hard on the orders of her clan, she would walk with Kiba to his home and be welcomed in by Tsume like a long-lost daughter, with a dazzling smile and a kiss on the cheek.

"She's scary..." Kiba often said on these occasions, shuddering and ushering Hinata up to his room and away from the family areas, "I'm sorry she's so weird. She's generally not this clingy. And sorry about the mess; this is a house of dogs, after all..." He'd add, flushing with embarrassment and scratching the back of his head.

Hinata would always smile and blush. "No, it's fine, Kiba-kun. I... I like it here."

She wasn't lying. Being in the Inuzuka household was as welcome as Konoha's spring fair. Everything about it was loud and fun and full of warmth.

And as she crept quietly through the cold, empty halls of the Hyuuga compound, where sound was considered unseemly, Hinata wondered what Naruto's home was like. Once upon a time he'd lived in a tiny, run down and messy apartment in the centre of the village, alone and hardly able to care for himself. When he'd turned eighteen however, Naruto had inherited his parents' family home. She'd never been there, though she knew he still lived alone, having lost both of his parents in the battle against the Kyuubi when he was just a baby. His father, Minato Namikaze, had been the Fourth Hokage, a wise and gentle man despite his obvious prowess as a shinobi. His mother, Kushina Uzumaki, had been a boisterous, colourful woman, known for her outrageous personality as well as her talent at most jutsus.

Imagining them now, she could almost picture the kind of home they would leave their son. It would be warm and cosy, with quirky furniture in mismatching colours. She could see the rows of photos on shelf after shelf; photos of Minato and his three-man squad, of the three-man squad he would go on to instruct. There would be photos of he and Kushina together, happy and smiling. And there would be one photo of Naruto, the tiny bundle of joy, taken mere days - maybe hours - before his parents' untimely deaths...

It was a horrible way to live, she thought sadly, without the love of ones parents. Although, in a way, she had lived a life much similar to Naruto's. Hinata's mother had died when she was only a baby, and her father... well... her father was a proud man; too proud to pour any affection into a daughter who was never up to the standards set for the heir to the clan.

A half-hearted scowl crossed Hinata's face but was quickly wiped away; she was entering the compound's courtyard now, and it was generally the meeting place for the family. It would not be becoming for her to be seen with a scowl - or any kind of emotion - on her face.

The courtyard was large, filled with ferns and flowers and grasses, and surrounded by a verandah of wood. She was surprised to find the courtyard empty but for two figures, who seemed to be training in the very centre. On closer inspection, she could make out the features of Hanabi, now fourteen but looking so much older. Her training was brutal and tiring, it was obvious in the premature lines on her face, which only deepened as she unleashed her byakugan on her opponent. Hinata felt a tingle across her skin at the sudden surge in Hanabi's chakra circulation; she'd started to find she could sense someone's chakra levels even without activating her own byakugan, which was, at present, helping her in training with her fellow jounin and, in the future, would severely increase her abilities as a reconaissance shinobi.

Hanabi's opponent was taller than her, and more rigid in his stance. He wore his hair in a similar fashion to Hinata, though his plait was shorter and he wore his Konoha forehead protector low over his eyebrows. There was no doubt as to who this man was; Neji Hyuuga, her older cousin.

Watching Neji and Hanabi as she walked by, Hinata felt a pang of shocking jealousy. The two of them together were the best candidates for becoming the head of the clan someday, in the case of physical ability and talent as a shinobi. Neji would never become the head of the clan, however, due to the curse seal that marked his forehead beneath his headband. The curse seal, if activated by another member of the Hyuuga clan, could inflict great damage to Neji, and though Hiashi had considered taking his nephew on as a candidate for the clan's head, he had deemed it too dangerous. Neji was far too susceptible to be leader of the Hyuuga clan.

Hinata was sure that her father now regretted his decision to mark Neji with the curse seal; she was certain that, if he could make the choice again now, he would instead mark _her_ with it.

Hanabi, who would not have been able to hear Hinata's almost inaudible footsteps or sense her presence had she not had her byakugan unleashed, turned in her direction. There was a decided look of arrogance there, Hinata noted, but did not worry about. She was used to that by now.

Neji turned as well, and there was no trace of any emotion on his face. Hinata knew that, during training, he shut off every thought, every feeling, but for the physical things he could sense around him at that very moment. That's what made him so dangerous as a shinobi.

"Hinata-sama!" Neji called. Hinata froze. What was this...? Generally, if Neji wanted to talk to her, he waited until she was unoccupied, as was only polite.

She watched as Neji turned to Hanabi, his face unfreezing from its emotionless mask, inclined his head slightly in her direction and murmured an apology, stating a need to leave. Hanabi gave a quick, angered jerk of the head before turning and walking away in the opposite direction.

It took Neji only a few seconds to cross the courtyard and stand before Hinata, his head bowed deferentially. "Hinata-sama. I'm sorry to keep you. Are you heading out to train with the jounins?"

It had taken many years of hard work, but Hinata and Neji had been able to close the large, angry wound that had kept them apart for most of their lives. They often trained together, much like he and Hanabi had been just moments before, as well as with the other jounins from the village. Their relationship was hard to explain; they weren't what you could consider conventional friends; rather amicable rivals.

"Neji-niisan." Hinata said in her soft, almost nervous voice. "Y-yes, I'm going out to train with the jounins. It will only be Shino-kun and Kiba-kun with me today. Naruto-kun has a meeting with Hokage-sama for most of the day..."

Neji looked embarrassed. However, his pure light violet eyes - slightly lighter than Hinata's own - lost their hesitancy and his shoulders relaxed. "It was Naruto I wished to speak with." He admitted, then returned to his over-polite self. "Hinata-sama, if Naruto happens to stop by the training ground, with or without seeing Hokage-sama, would you please ask him to come to me? There is something I need to discuss with him."

Hinata knew better than to pry, but she could not help but wonder what Neji would need to speak to Naruto about. And to ask her himself? That was unheard of.

"Is it urgent, Neji-niisan?" Her cousin's eyes narrowed. She added quickly, "O-only so I know to tell Naruto-kun immediately if I s-s-see him. I wouldn't want to c-cause trouble."

Neji's eyes lost their edge, and almost appeared friendly. A slight smile crossed his face - or was that just Hinata's imagination? "It is not urgent, Hinata-sama, but it would be best if I spoke to him as soon as possible. I would ask him myself but if he has a meeting with Hokage-sama it is probably of the most importance. He is more likely to visit the training grounds after his meeting than to visit the Hyuuga compound, where I'll be training with Hanabi-sama for the day."

"I understand." Hinata nodded. "If I see Naruto-kun, I'll let him know you wish to speak with him as soon as possible."

"Thankyou, Hinata-sama. I'm sorry again for keeping you." Neji inclined his head once more, looked at Hinata thoughtfully for a mere fraction of a second, and then sped off across the courtyard, no doubt to retrieve Hanabi.

Hinata, suddenly in a hurry to escape from the formalities of the compound, walked a little faster than usual to the main gates. She crossed her father's path, and briefly acknowledged him with a low bow before hurriedly explaining her training regime. His narrow eyes did not seem interested; before she had even finished, he had taken three steps past her, as though he wished to leave her presence as soon as possible.

The training grounds were not empty when she arrived; it seemed she had slept in later than she had thought. Shino, clothed in his usual oversized pants and jacket, was standing to the side of the forest clearing, while Kiba was lounged under a nearby tree, a long blade of yellowed grass between his teeth. On her arrival, he lifted his head and grinned, rising swiftly to his feet.

"Here's Lavender!" He said in a mocking tone, "I was beginning to think she wouldn't turn up today." He said to Shino, shaking his head.

Hinata smiled. "Kiba-kun..." She said softly, the heavy weight lifting off her shoulders suddenly. She always felt like this when she escaped the Hyuuga compound; it never ceased to amaze her how confident she felt whenever she was away from the eyes of her family.

"Now that everyone is here, let's begin." Shino murmured.

Hinata nodded. "All right. But please don't go easy on me, Shino-kun, Kiba-kun. I -"

A sound from behind her stopped her mid-sentence. She spun on her toes and ducked to the side, escaping the sharp claws of Akamaru's outstretched paws. Akamaru hit the ground and skidded to a halt beside a grinning Kiba, who laughed aloud at Hinata's evasion.

"You didn't even use your Byakugan, Hinata! Your ears must be getting nearly as sensitive as mine."

Hinata laughed and her brows drew together in dark humour. "That's what happens when you have to train with dogs."

Her mockery had the desired effect and Kiba grew serious. Within seconds, Hinata's Byakugan was unleashed and Kiba was in her sights, running and jumping and throwing himself through the surrounding forest, trying to evade her sights, though he knew he never could.

Not only could he not succeed in hiding himself from Hinata, he would find out that there was no way that Hinata would let Naruto escape her sight, either.

And so began what was shaping up to be the worst day of Kiba Inuzuka's life.


	2. Then Go

Author's Note: Thankyou to the guys who left me lovely reviews and added me to their favourites! There's only two of you so far, but I'm happy all the same! I thought I'd upload this chapter for you, just so you know I AM going to update this thing.

However, I just want to let ya know that the next chapter may not be uploaded for a while. I'll give myself a time limit of two weeks; should probably be sooner than that, but at least I have a deadline now! So keep the reviews coming; feel free to critique, too!

DISCLAIM-ERRRRRRRR *I do not own Naruto stuff*! But oh, what fun it would be if I did!

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"I'm going to tell him." She whispered, so softly that only he could hear her. She twiddled her thumbs in a nervous fashion, looking to the ground. He was glad for that, because the look of utter desolation on his face - and the hint of anger in his eyes - would have scared her more than the prospect of what she was about to do. "I am going to tell him, no matter what. I... I've waited too long." He could hear her heartbeat racing as she raised her eyes to his face, and he had just enough time to compose himself. The silence around him however was deafening in his ears; he didn't remember ever knowing the sound of silence, but here it was. Thick and heavy and too hard to take. His hands curled into fists behind his back and his long fingernails cut into the bare flesh of his palms.

"Then go." He murmured, not daring to stare into the perfect face but instead focusing on a tree close to the left. He didn't think the girl noticed his shaking, or his lack of concentration on anything tangible, because she smiled all the same. It was the smile of someone whose dreams were about to come true. For his own sake, he hoped those dreams were crushed. But no, he couldn't think like that, and he tried to lift his spirits as she turned and began to walk away.

The lavender scent of her skin lingered even after she had left the training ground. There was a slight breeze turned in his favour, and he stood staring into the thick forest in the direction she had disappeared, his face turned upward in an attempt to take in more of his favourite smell. He closed his eyes and tried to capture the expression on her face as she had said goodbye. She was hopeful, and yet wary, hesitant. The next few hours would be the most important ones of her life, and what she said and how she acted would change everything.

The next few hours would be crucial for him, too. For if she were successful in her attempts, he would have to try to smile when, tomorrow, she came walking up to him with a dazzling smile on her face, directed not at him but at the blond-haired boy who held her hand. He would have to endure the long days when his training partner instead trained with the future Hokage, who would most likely have her sit and watch so she "wouldn't get hurt". That punk knew nothing about her. _Nothing_! He didn't understand how her complex mind worked, he didn't know how hard it was for her to sit by and watch as her friends grew stronger without her. Well _shit_, he'd been too preoccupied to even notice the subtle, utterly useless advances the girl had made towards him over the course of the last seven years!

As the minutes wore on, the familiar scent of her faded and was replaced with clean, fresh air. The smell of the earth and the trees and the grass would normally have had a calming effect on Kiba Inuzuka, but not today. Today was something he could definitely live without.

With a long, growling sigh, he hunched his shoulders and let his head droop, crossing his arms to defend himself against the sharp needles of jealousy that pierced his chest. Naruto Uzumaki indeed. What did she see in him that Kiba himself did not have?

He repeated bitterly the words he'd told her teasingly on many occasions. "You know Naruto and I are similar, admit it! Same hair, same hyperactive exterior, same determination! And you know we're both tough shinobi. But you know... there's one defining difference between me and Naruto."

That was where the teasing always ended, and he'd look at her with sad, puppy-dog eyes, willing her to look at him and understand the sincerity of his words. There was one defining difference, something she had not picked up on, not having the same keen senses that Kiba himself had. One defining difference.

Kiba knew her inside and out. Kiba would look after her. Kiba would make her happy.

The defining difference was that Kiba was already hers, body and soul; she didn't have to go searching for him!

His attempts at gaining her understanding never worked, for as soon as the name "Naruto" would fall from his bitterly twisted lips, she would blush, stare deeply into space, and cease to hear a word he was saying. He'd since learned to hold his tongue, and tried not to mention the name at all in conversation, to avoid a relapse.

With a snicker, Kiba kicked his heels together and turned, striding in the opposite direction as quickly as his feet would allow him on such little chakra. Not only had he felt mentally drained for almost month now, his training regime had been stepped up a few large notches ever since he became a jounin, even though highly-ranked missions were becoming more and more rare as time went on. The genin of the village continued to walk dogs and paint fences, but since peace-time two years previously there was little for powerful ninja like himself to do. All there was was training. Training training training.

_And Hinata._

Damn, he just could not forget her, even for a few seconds. There was definitely something wrong with him, something strangely wired in his brain. He used to love the fact that the petite kunoichi stole his thoughts on almost every occasion, but now she haunted him like a child's nightmare. How could a face so pale and perfect be so painful to him now? Oh, that's right. That smile he remembered in her lavender eyes was not for him. It was for the greatest shinobi in the village of Konoha, the person whom Hinata Hyuuga was in love with.

No, not in love. Kiba knew, in the very pit of his stomach, that she did not love Naruto Uzumaki. He suspected it was more like sheer admiration that made Hinata blush and freeze whenever Naruto was present, or when his name was mentioned. Kiba had to admit that Naruto was strong, and everything that Hinata strove to be. Naruto was smart, and brave, and so outgoing it was often annoying. But he was the embodiment of the image Hinata wanted for herself. She wanted to be strong, and brave, and outgoing. She wanted to be classed as one of the great shinobi of Konoha, to feel proud.

And with a family like hers, it was no wonder she craved recognition for her abilities. Hiashi Hyuuga was a proud man, but he was not proud of his eldest daughter. Kiba's sharp eyes caught every emotion that crossed the old Hyuuga's face when mention of his daughters came up; "Hanabi" gained the speaker a small smile, while "Hinata" always resulted in narrowed, tight eyes and a twist of the lips that could only mark disdain. Anyone else would believe this alteration was merely the result of Hiashi's old age, a twitch of the facial muscles, but Kiba's senses knew otherwise. If it were possible for him to get Hiashi alone, Kiba would attempt to scratch those narrow eyes from their _sockets_.

Kiba wound his way through the trees without thinking; he knew this forest like he knew his own name, having trained in and around it for seven years now, since he became a genin. The smells around him grew more urban, with smoke and metal tainting the clean air, so he knew he was getting close to home. The Inuzuka compound was closest to the forest, and he was glad he would not have to go through the village proper; he had no patience for anyone right now. He was afraid of what he might do if he crossed Naruto's path, though he knew that was near impossible, as Hinata had sought him out with her byakugan and gone directly to him. By now the two of them would be on the other side of the village.

He passed through the final copse of trees to find Akamaru waiting obediently by the front door, his giant tail swinging rhythmically like a metronome. At the sight of his best friend, Kiba smiled slightly, unable to hold back the happiness he felt at returning home to his family. Training had been grueling today, and... well, his day was only going to get worse; maybe being with Akamaru in his own home would help him relax and take... the news... better when he recieved it.

The front door of his home creaked as he pushed at it with his shoulder. Once inside he groaned, feeling suddenly heavy and overcome with tiredness, and crumpled to the floor. Akamaru quickly skittered inside, extremely agile for an animal of his size, and caught his friend as he fell, whimpering as Kiba clutched weakly at his long fur. He barked once, and after a few short moments the sound of footsteps rained down the staircase.

Down the hall barged Tsume Inuzuka, a frightening look upon her face. She was tall, with eyes as sharp as Kiba's own, and hair that splayed haphazardly around her. "Ooh, Kiba!" She growled, frustrated at the sight of the near-unconscious Kiba, "You know better than to train yourself to death. Why do you have to scare your mother like this, huh?" She eyed Akamaru and gave him a nod and a slight smile, thanking him for his assistance, and then said, "Take him to his room, please, Akamaru. Let him sleep it off."

"Sorry, oka-chan..." Kiba murmured weakly, trying for a smile and forcing only a tight grimace, "it's been a long day."

His mother barked out a laugh. "And it's only four. What did you get up to? Sparring with Naruto again?"

Kiba's mouth went dry. "No." He growled. He patted Akamaru's side a little harder than he thought he could, and his faithful friend took the hint, bounding straight past the startled Tsume and up the staircase with Kiba on his back. Why did she have to be so forceful? What was it to her what he was doing today?

What was she, his _mother_?

Once in their tiny room, Akamaru rolled Kiba onto the small single bed. Kiba made no attempt to move, feeling the guilt rain down on his back as his consciousness ebbed. How could he be so selfish? Hinata... she wanted to be with Naruto. That was the end of it. He could do nothing else. And his mother cared for him like no one else did; perhaps he would confide in her tomorrow.

Tomorrow... he wished it never had to come.


	3. A Little Confidence

A/N - Hi there, fellow Fanfic Nuts! Finally got another chapter done and dusted. I had a whole week with no internet so it really helped my creativity, not being sidetracked by sites like this LOL. Hope you enjoy it, and for those of you who posted questions in your reviews - thanks a LOAD for those reviews, too, by the way! - I'll answer them in A/N at the end of the chapter! :D

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The wind seemed to pick up as Hinata sped hastily out of the forest training grounds. It caught in her hair, attempting to pull strands free of the loose plait. In response she slowed to a walk, flicking the tie around to her face, and slid it from the ends in one swift movement. Her confidence was waning, and she found comfort in the simple task of unbinding her silky tresses, allowing the spring breeze to caress them. She closed her pupil-less eyes for one long moment, listening to the song of the wind, drawing energy and strength from it.

Hinata Hyuuga took a deep, calming breath, opened her eyes, and then continued on into Konoha's village proper.

It only took her minutes to make her way to the centre of the village; the streets, though still bustling with activity, no longer served as thoroughfares for refugees and migrants, as they had during the wars that ravaged the Fire Country two years previously. Those days had been rough, even for those who had trained their entire lives for such times, and shinobi and civilian alike had been more than happy to return to their reasonably normal lives once the Akatsuki had been dissolved and relative peace had returned to the world.

The Fifth Hokage had been adamant from the beginning, however, that vigilance had to be upheld, with Team Hawk having fled to the former Whirlpool Country - Naruto's mother's homeland - to train in secret. Sasuke Uchiha and his team of shinobi had not been seen since their final attempt to destroy Konoha, and Tsunade had to assume that it was only a matter of time until the Missing Nin returned to wreak vengeance on his own village.

Despite the urgency with which the Hokage had made her announcement soon after the war, only a handful of shinobi had actually been trusted with the information pertaining to Team Hawk and the chance of their return. Most of the current Jounins were under the impression that this peacetime would be constant, that all threat had been eliminated. They continued to train, mostly out of habit, because that was what they knew how to do.

Hinata Hyuuga knew otherwise. She and but a few other Jounins her age - namely Sakura Haruno, Shikamaru Nara, Neji Hyuuga, and Naruto Uzumaki himself, though there were several others - were aware of the current circumstances, and she knew that it was only a matter of time before she would have to step up and take charge, to lead. She was all-too aware of the fact that time was precious, and that soon enough her simple life - and that of every other person in Konoha - would change.

It was this knowledge that propelled her into the main street, where she stood to calm herself and prepare to face her biggest fear. She knew that this would be the only chance she would get to confess to Naruto her true feelings; not just because of the invasion that she knew was on its way, but because she understood that she would never feel as confident as she did at that moment. Kiba's soft words of encouragement had soldified her intent, had given her the final boost.

_"I'm going to tell him. I am going to tell him, no matter what. I... I've waited too long."_

_ "Then go."_

Those two words had been enough to give her final resolve. She just needed to tackle it in the same way she tackled all of her missions; with precision, planning, and strength of heart.

Avoiding the sideways glances from passers-by, Hinata spun in a quick circle to face the Hokage's Residence, the large red building that stood at the very head of the village. Behind it towered the faces of all four previous Hokages, as well as the current leader, Tsunade. She studied the face of the Fourth Hokage - who reminded her so much of her current target - and then unleashed her Byakugan.

Everything in her direct line of sight became a mass of flowing chakra. Individuals casually wandering down the main street turned into human flames, their chakra levels flickering and altering. She could see the chakra that seeped from each person into the world around them; the ground, the air, other people. It had been amazing for her to finally discover, quite recently, due to her intense training and changes to her Byakugan, that chakra was not a constant; humans, animals and plants alike shed it and gained it every second of every day, just as they breathed in and out. It was a revelation that she had tried to explain to Neji, Hanabi, and even Hiashi. Both her sister and her father had given her looks of consternation, not understanding her strange new ability to see living chakra, but Neji had listened raptly as she had recounted what she had seen that day in training.

"It seems as though you have taken a step to the side, Hinata-sama," Neji had pondered aloud as they sat cross-legged in the Hyuuga compound courtyard. "The Byakugan usually matures in the same way for all of us; the ability to see an opponent's chakra levels comes first, followed by an increase in distance, and ultimately the ability to seek out any object within that radius. The distances to which we can see these objects grows constantly and each user's is different.

"Perhaps, instead of merely just increasing the physical limit of your Byakugan, Hinata-sama, you have instead taken a different path and your senses within that limit are now becoming more acute. You can see the minutae of chakra flow in the world, and have discovered a secret. You have an ability that it seems no other Hyuuga before you has had. Think of it like this; while I may be able to see a line of ants on the ground ten kilometres away, you can see the tiny specks of dirt that are on their feet."

That explanation had stayed with her, as it was the only theory that had seemed even remotely possible. No other member of the community could give her any answers. All she knew was that she could see and track the smallest amount of chakra, even as it passed from one person to another. While every being had its own identifying chakra that it produced itself, there were times when paths would cross and a being would take on the chakra of another being.

However, there was one being she knew of that was an exception to this rule, and that being was Naruto Uzumaki, and ultimately the Kyuubi that resided within his body.

She narrowed her field of vision to the Hokage's Residence, where she had heard Naruto was meeting with Tsunade, and immediately felt the distinct chakra that radiated from his body, the strange mix of the Nine Tailed Fox's scorching indentity and that of its cooler host. Hinata's heart began to beat rapidly as she drank in the sensation of contact, the deep thread that she could feel tugging on her mind at the touch of such interesting chakra. She often found it was her curiosity and instincts that took hold of her when she used her Byakugan and sought Naruto out; it was almost a drug to see the flickering, multicoloured flame of his lifeforce and feel it in her own veins.

She could see him now, his inner flames alight and bright. He was in the Hokage's office, sitting opposite her at the large desk, filling out paperwork and organising missions; it was a task he had been given shortly after the wars, one that he took very seriously and spent most of his free time puzzling over.

She saw the muscles in his back ripple and tense, the chakra in them flaring rainbow colours at something she did not see or feel. He seemed disconcerted for a brief moment, before returning to his list of Jounin, which she knew contained herself, Kiba, and Shino. It looked as though the three of them were to be going on a mission soon, though what that mission was had not been written down yet.

Hesitating for just a second, Hinata took a deep breath, releasing her Byakugan, and began to jog down the street towards the Residence.

At the base of the mountain, where the entrance to the Residence stood, the kunoichi slowed to a reverent walk and greeted the guards who stood ever-vigilant at the doors. One of the guards, a distant cousin of hers and head of a branch Hyuuga family, scanned her perfunctorily with his opaque eyes, the veins in his temples pulsing, and nodded her entry to the other guard, who opened the doors and led her into the foyer.

There were very few rooms in the Residence where the everyday shinobi were allowed to enter. Most were escorted directly to the Hokage's office, at the very top of the mansion, and all doors along the way were barred and sealed. It was rumoured that most of them contained scroll after scroll of forbidden jutsu, and history the likes of which the previous kages had deemed unnecessary to be public knowledge. Hinata herself had been let into a few of the usually locked rooms, only to find but one or two items in each, such as weapons or scrolls.

The main hallway spiralled up and around the mansion, leading directly to the office of the Hokage. She and her guard reached the thick panel doors in little time at all, and Hinata began to feel tense. Her heart constricted dangerously, beating out of time, and she held a hand to her chest in an attempt to calm it. Naruto was beyond those doors; this was the be-all and end-all for her.

The doors before her, which had been still and silent, burst open in a flash and Hinata barely saw anything before she was blinded by a figure. Standing before her, one head taller, was Naruto Uzumaki, his arms crossed. These days he wore a cloak of white and red, the same worn by his father Minato, and inner robes of black and red.

It took Hinata a few moments to get her bearings, and when she did she realised he was but a foot away from her, and she looked up into his face, her own beginning to redden at his sudden closeness.

He had matured greatly in the past two years, growing in both body and mind. His hair was longer, worn in the same fashion as his father had worn his, and his forehead protector had been cleaned and polished. His mouth was set in a thin, hard line, the ever-present scores on his cheeks hinting at the demon within.

What always stunned Hinata the most, however, were his piercing blue eyes, icy in their appearance but warm in the emotion they usually held. Deep within them she saw a sadness that seemed constant, and also a shadow of the fire that burned inside the Kyuubi.

At this time, however, he seemed distressed more than sad, and he fixed her with a look of consternation. "Hinata?" His voice was warm, like sweet honey, and when he turned to close the doors behind him Hinata took the opportunity to fight back the urge to faint. "Why did you seek me out? Is there news from outside?"

It took Hinata a few moments to comprehend what he was asking her. Even when it finally dawned that he was asking her if she had any new information on Team Hawk - which she did not - she was still confused.

Naruto, understanding that look of confusion and realising its source, clarified. "I felt you use your Byakugan when you directed at me. I thought maybe you had some urgent news and wanted to find me quickly."

"Oh," Hinata said weakly, suddenly feeling dizzy. She hadn't known that Naruto could sense her gaze, but she had to concede that she was not surprised. He had always had strange abilities. She blinked rapidly to clear her swirling vision and shook her head. "No, I'm sorry, N-Naruto-kun. I haven't h-heard anything." She recalled her meeting with Neji that morning, and decided now would be a good a time as any to relay the message he had sent with her. "Neji-nii-san would l-like to have a w-word with you, though. W-when you are free."

Naruto deflated visibly, which she decided was a good thing; once the sadness disappeared from his expression he took a deep breath and fixed her with a mischievous smile instead. "That's all you sought me out to tell me?"

Hinata blushed madly, stuttering incoherently, before swallowing and forming a proper sentence. "I-I was actually... wondering i-if I could s-s-speak to you... i-if you're not t-t-too busy..."

A blank expression crossed the taller shinobi's countenance, but then he grinned, and her heart skipped a beat or two. "Of course, Hinata! I just finished up here, let's go!" He took her upper arm and spun her around gently, leading her away from the Hokage's office and down the spiral hallway once again.

By the time the two reached the entrance to the Hokage's Residence, Hinata had lost all train of thought, and could only concentrate on the heat where his hand had been resting.

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MORE A/N YAY!

How'd you like the chapter?! NOW I would like some creative input; would you like to actually READ the confession, or would you rather see it in a short flashback? The next chapter is Kiba-centric, but in the chapter after that, what would you rather read? Let me know in your review!

I want to explain about the way I see chakra, and about the kids' new abilities, but I think it would take up too much A/N, so just let me know if you want more information and I'll chuck it in with the next chapter.

Thanks to Bumble555 for pointing out a flaw in the first chapter. To answer your question, this fic is set about two-and-a-half years after Shippuuden, about September, which is spring in Australia, where I'm from. Hinata is 17 (she'll be 18 on December 27th) and Kiba is 18 (his birthday was July 7th). Hinata's hair is down to her thighs, she puts it in a plait, and she wears a tighter jacket with the Hyuuga clan symbol on the cuffs. Still wears her forehead protector on her neck, and a jounin vest. Kiba's hair is longer, and he usually just wears a mesh shirt and leather pants *drools* He's also very muscular, bulky.

Reviews requested! :D


	4. Despite Respite

A/N - Sorry this took so long! To be honest I'd written this before I even uploaded Chapter 3, but I wanted to keep a week between uploads. And then... well, I had a lot going on, so I kinda forgot about it! But here it is! Another Kibacentric chapter, hope you like it!

*Disclaim-uh I do not own anything*

REVIEWS ARE ENCOURAGED :D

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The pure white light of morning turned to red as it passed through the thin curtains of Kiba's bedroom. Akamaru lay sprawled across the floor on a makeshift bed of rugs, snoring loudly, but no one complained. In a house of dogs, snoring was always going to be commonplace.

Kiba himself was awake and curled up under the thick, warm covers of his bed, which was a behaviour far from normal. Generally he slept through the night with no interruptions, tossing and turning and snoring and dreaming and ending up splayed across the bed in what others would consider an uncomfortable position. Last night, however, had been different for Kiba.

He had slept, but he had not dreamed.

This was something that troubled him. He'd always had an overactive imagination even at the worst of times. The dreams he had were rarely of consequence; most of the time they were abstract only, feelings and ideas with no corporeal figures. But for him to stop dreaming altogether was a turning point. What did it _mean_? He was unsettled by the questions it raised.

He lay still for a few moments longer, trying to settle himself. To stop thinking irrationally. To remember that he had to get up and train. It was close to midday, judging by the way the light hit his window and the smells he could taste in the air. It sounded like his older sister, Hana, was visiting, too. Damn. He didn't want to get out of bed, if that was the case. She'd be on his back again about moving out of home and taking on some of the special A-rank missions the Hokage had planned. He might consider taking on one or two in the future, yes, but at the moment he did not have the patience. Or the motivation.

Although, he could come up with a few reasons to get out of the village, the foremost being that he would not have to face today.

Akamaru grumbled in his sleep and Kiba's brow furrowed. There was something wrong here. Where was the feeling of nausea, the emotional exhaustion, that he had felt yesterday? Where was the beast in the pit of his stomach that reared its ugly head whenever he thought of her? When he thought of how jealous he was of _him_?

He'd thought that the pain would be worse today, of all days. But... no, he did a mental inventory, and he seemed perfectly fine. Numb, even.

Well, throw him to the dogs! Today might not be such a bad day after all.

_If_ he could keep this feeling up.

To Kiba's surprise, by the time he'd bathed and dressed and headed downstairs his sister was long gone, and Tsume sat at the small wooden table that stood between the kitchen and the main foyer, a mug in her hands and the giant Kuromaru at her feet. Her son, pleased that the weight of a grim lecture from Hana had been lifted from his already burdened shoulders, walked past and patted Kuromaru affectionately, giving Tsume a quick, hopefully reassuring smile before ducking into the kitchen.

"Don't think you can escape from me, Kiba Inuzuka." Tsume warned from behind him, "when you come back through that door I want answers."

Kiba wasn't even hungry. Now that he was faced with the inevitable lecture he'd hoped to avoid - and from his _mother_, of all people - he asked himself why he hadn't just jumped out of his bedroom window, like he did most other training days. He'd forgotten that Tsume had seen him come home in a bad state last night...

To satisfy her, he padded to the fridge, poured himself a glass of milk - leaving the remainder of the carton's contents in a bowl for Akamaru - and made his way back into the room where Tsume waited patiently, neither of them saying a word. He took a seat opposite her civily and yet hesitantly, not wanting to wait around but knowing full well that, if he were to run or refuse to speak with her, he would be unfit to train, or even walk, for a week.

Tsume noticed his strangely obedient behaviour and gave him a wide, sneering grin, something that would appear frightening to anyone who had not seen it before. "Well. An old dog _can_ be taught new tricks."

"It appears so." Kiba replied, trying to remain nonchalant. His fingers toyed with the half-empty glass of milk that rested on the table before him.

Tsume sighed, the fierceness in her eyes dying. "I don't know what's bothering you but I wish you'd tell me about it." She started, "You've been moody and bothersome for weeks now, and last night... well, to say I'm worried is an understatement."

Kiba said nothing. He toyed with his glass some more, paying more attention to the way his fingers were trembling and silently begging them to stop.

Tsume reached a hand out to her son, grasping the sleeve of his leather jacket with her long fingernails. "Are you worried about training? Because being a jounin can be tough, Kiba. If you're not up to it I can talk to the Hokage for -"

"Training is easy, oka-chan!" Kiba protested, cutting her off in frustration. "If I'd known being a jounin would be so simple I would have trained harder to get there earlier." He barked, a laugh borne of nervousness. "Seriously, I think being a chuunin was harder."

Tsume looked at him through narrow black eyes. "Then what was yesterday? And why have I had to live under the same roof as a zombie for the past month?"

Kiba would not answer truthfully. He went over the real answers to her questions in his head. What was yesterday? It was sheer emotional exhaustion. It was the breakdown of every real or imagined wall of fortification he had built against the inevitable.

And why had Tsume had a zombie under her roof for a month? The transformation was the result of a tumultus month of listening to his best friend come to terms with a new-found confidence in herself. It was the result of one whole month of understanding. She was leaving him.

Because, in his mind, that was what was happening. Hinata Hyuuga had been a stable fixture in his life for seven years, and he'd often considered her 'his girl'. And though he knew she'd been pining after Naruto he'd let it go, knowing that she confided in Kiba more than anyone else. Kiba had still been her favourite.

But a month ago, Hinata had announced with shining eyes that she really would confess to Naruto her true feelings someday. The angry demon that curled obediently around Kiba's chest had roared to life then, and had left him physically and emotionally drained. _That_ was what Tsume had been living with.

Not today, though. Today seemed relatively beast-free, for the most part, and Kiba knew he could control himself - and the answers to his mother's questions. He set his glass down, clasped his hands together and sat back in his chair, smiling casually. "Oka-chan, I said training was easy, and it is. It's the rivalry between jounins that's tiring." And he wasn't lying; he was just relating his current feelings to training rather than relationships. "We're a really tight-knit group, and it's hard not to get a little competitive. Shino, Hinata, myself and Naruto -" Although, he could admit that it was rather hard not to wince at the name, "- we all train together most days, and things do get out of hand sometimes. You know, duelling, testing each other's stamina and endurance, trying out new jutsus..."

Tsume stared into his face for a few more moments, seemingly unconvinced, and then she shook her head.

"Hana and I..." She started, "we're both Inuzukas too, you know. We can sense when something's wrong, especially with you. You can't have forgotten that Hana's name literally means 'nose', can you? She can _smell _those kinds of things." She wrinkled her own nose, then added, "A trait she obviously did not get from her father. He never _did_ know when something was up..."

Kiba snorted. "Or maybe he was just so scared of you he didn't want to get on your bad side by assuming things."

Tsume growled, then petted Kuromaru, looking at the bare tabletop in front of her. "You know you can talk to me, right? About anything?"

"Sure, sure." Kiba said, nonchalant and glad for the change in topic. "I'd rather talk to you than Hana any day." He picked up his glass and downed the remainder of his milk in one gulp.

"Don't be so hard on your sister. She's just loooking out for you, Kiba."

Kiba stood and carried his glass back into the kitchen. "I know." He said softly. He rinsed it in the sink, then turned and leant back against the counter, staring at nothing in particular. He was silent for a few moments, and it seemed that his mother was waiting for something, for she hadn't moved from her chair. He cleared his throat and re-entered the room where Tsume sat patiently. "I'd better hurry and get down to the training grounds. Shino's dying to try out his new jutsus on me." He winced for effect. "Hope they don't hurt as much as they did yesterday."

Tsume, who was still petting Kuromaru's fur, pointed a warning finger at him with her free hand. "If you come back home in the same state you were in last night, I'll be having words with that boy!"

Kiba laughed, sincerely touched by her concern. "If it's all the same to you, oka-chan, I'd rather keep my training partner the way he is. Loss of limb will leave me with an advantage, and I'm strong enough as it is." He winked at her, then sprinted for the door before she could inflict the playful but excruciatingly painful punch to his shoulder that he knew would be coming next.

Akamaru, as always, met him at the edge of the village proper. The large dog enjoyed taking a fast sprint around the forest before joining his master at training, and it seemed that either Kiba had been talking for longer than he thought, or Akamaru was getting faster.

"You were asleep when I left my room!" He said, exasperated. "What pills has Tsume got you on now? The last ones made you hard enough to keep up with, Akamaru!"

Akamaru barked in reply and sped off into the training forest, with Kiba on his heels.

Wow, Kiba felt like he was on _fire_ today! He twisted and he turned and he snaked through the trees, below and above them, and still he felt he could do more. He channeled his chakra and, mid-step on a large tree branch, gave himself a burst of speed that tore the tree's limb free and sent it crashing to the ground below. Akamaru caught him and together they patrolled their territory, making their way swiftly to the open clearing that was their team's designated training ground.

When Kiba arrived, feeling more invigorated than he had in a month - at least - Shino Aburame greeted him with a reserved nod of his hooded and bespectacled head. Akamaru trotted over to him and rolled over onto his back, his tongue lolling out of his mouth as Shino scratched his belly.

"Hinata isn't here yet?" Kiba asked, still amazed that he could keep his composure; he had expected to choke on the kunoichi's name, or at least make some kind of involuntary facial twitch.

But Shino noticed nothing, and replied as curtly as always. "No. Naruto came around earlier; he said Hinata would not be training today."

Kiba's heart stopped.

Oh, shit. Shit, shit, _shit_! There it was. The beast, the mother of all emotional monsters, biting and clawing at his insides, making up for the few peaceful hours he had revelled in this morning. His pupils contracted, his fangs extended by at least an inch, and he growled low and menacingly at something hardly tangible. The vigour he had felt turned into rage, and he felt angrier than he ever had in all of his life.

Akamaru was quickly at his side, sniffing the air for the taint that his master must have sensed to be acting in such a way. There was nothing but clean air on the wind; the dog could hear and see nothing but the trees.

Shino, however, understood the source of Kiba's reaction, and tensed visibly. "Go. I'll stay with Akamaru."

Within seconds, he was gone, speeding through the undergrowth and ignoring the branches and thorns that cut his face, his clothing, tangled in his hair. The village seemed closer than usual; his speed was insane, out of control.

Kiba's worst fears had been realised; Hinata had confessed, and Naruto had taken possession of her, forbidding her from training to keep her safe.

Kiba would kill him.

In his rage, Kiba Inuzuka didn't even need any type of Byakugan to find Naruto. He knew that his hunt was, as always at this time of day, hiding away in the Hokage's Residence, scribing paperwork and aiding Tsunade in organising shinobi missions. His speed increased dramatically as he came into sight of the mansion, and the entrance meant nothing to him; he flung himself up the side of a building close by, scrabbling up with extended claws. He launched himself upward, finding purchase on the tiled roof, and looked across with acute sight into the large windows of the Hokage's office.

Within the dimly-lit room he could see two figures, neither of them Tsunade, though one was distinctly female. Kiba sniffed the air experimentally, catching the familiar scent of roses, raspberry and soap; the woman was Kurenai Yuui, his first and last jounin sensei. Just over a year ago she had opted out of the shinobi life and given birth to a healthy baby girl, the father of whom was the late Asuma Sarutobi, who had been killed during the shinobi wars. Since then she had not returned to missions, and all three of her students had been elevated to jounin status, forming a three-man squad of their own. Kurenai had always had a soft-spot for Hinata, filling the hole where Hinata's mother would have been.

If Kurenai was talking to Naruto, something big must have happened. His instincts told him to remain where he was, silent and still, but he wanted to hear more; he needed to know what had really transpired.

So with speed borne of anger he took a running leap and threw himself across the wide expanse of space to the roof of the mansion, where he turned and dug his claws deep into the concrete, lowering his upper body carefully down the wall and hoping to catch a whisper or two.

It took barely a moment for Kiba sensitive hearing to pick up the conversation between Kurenai and the yellow-haired jounin.

"... I already told you, Kurenai-sensei, I didn't know! If I had known, I would have tried to stop it from getting to this point in the first place. I never meant to hurt her!"

"You say you had no idea she felt so strongly for you?"

"I honestly did not know. She never said anything until now..."

"Even if she never said anything, did you never once think that perhaps the way she looked at you was different to the way Sakura did, in the beginning?"

"I... I never really noticed."

"I always thought you were a bit behind, Naruto-kun, but not this dense. ... Well, despite all of this, I thank you for giving her a straight and definite answer. Perhaps now she will start training for herself, and not just for you."

"... I'm truly sorry, Kurenai-sensei. For not realising it sooner. I'll try to stay out of her way for a while; I know that's what I wanted Sakura to do, when she turned me down."

Kiba's ears prickled. 'I'll try to stay out of her way for a while'... wait. Shit. Did that mean he had rejected Hinata's confession?

Kurenai's reply was lost in static, for Kiba had already lost his concentration and was struggling with the many emotions that were quickly passing through his body. Relief; Naruto had not taken possession of her. Anger; why was Naruto so stupid, to not even realise that the kunoichi had been in love with him for years? Sadness; it sounded as though Hinata was heartbroken.

It was this last point that solidified the final emotion he felt; fear. For he did not know where she was, or what she would do, when her mission had failed.

He went after her immediately, leaving long, angry claw-marks down the side of the Hokage's mansion.

For almost an hour he searched the inner streets of Konoha, despite his intuition telling him that she would have left the city far behind, perhaps hiding in the forests or just beyond the village gates. He did not even bother to check the Hyuuga residence; she would not return home only to be faced with her father and brat-of-a-sister. Once his sweep of the village was completed and he had not located the missing kunoichi, he decided to head towards their training grounds, in the hopes that she had wandered somewhere familiar. Feeling more than a little anxious for her, his speed increased twofold, and every step sent the earth flying up behind him.

Upon breaking through the last wall of foliage and stumbling back into the clearing that was their designated training ground, Kiba was greeted by a sharp bark from Akamaru, who had been perched beside Shino; it seemed as though neither of them had moved, though he had been gone for almost two hours now.

White-hot anger rose up into Kiba's mouth. "You never told me Naruto rejected her," he spat at Shino, recalling the words he had said the last time they had spoken.

The bug-user merely lifted one eyebrow from behind his black goggles. "She confessed? I did not know. All Naruto said was that Hinata would most likely not be at training"

Well, goddamn. That was a mistake. Kiba bit back the harsh curses that he felt he ought to utter; damn that Naruto! Despite his boisterous exterior, he really did have the right idea; he understood that Hinata would be mortified if anyone knew she had confessed and been rejected, and therefore hadn't told Shino what had happened, merely that she would not be training. It seemed the kid did have some sort of conscience, after all, and Kiba growled at his own idiocy.

"Forget it," he muttered, stalking past his taller teammate, whistling to Akamaru to follow. "If you see her, send for me. Don't you say a word about this."

"Of course," Shino said passively, still rooted to that same spot but turning his head to watch as the man disappeared, followed closely by his large, shaggy companion, "I see you have this under control."

When Kiba was just outside of the forest clearing he stopped walking and attempted to empty his whirring mind. He knew he would have to concentrate to find her quickly, which was all he wanted to do. He motioned for Akamaru to heel, and the overgrown canine complied, seating himself comfortably on the leafy floor.

It took a few moments for Kiba Inuzuka's thoughts to quieten down, for his anger and fear to subside enough to feel the earth around him. He closed his eyes, and all of a sudden he could hear and smell everything within a three kilometre radius, a skill he had honed over the years. It was still no match for Hinata's Byakugan, but it was useful all the same.

With careful precision, he began to filter through the different sounds and smells, testing each corner of his awareness - a bird's cry a kilometre to the west, the stream to the east, ash from a fire passing overhead - until he pinpointed something odd.

Hidden by the sound of the gurgling stream, he could hear what sounded like muffled crying.

On further probing, he caught the wind as it turned in his direction and he could smell flowers.

He knew that scent.

He opened his eyes slowly, taking a deep breath of his favourite smell, and clicked his tongue, signalling for Akamaru to stay. And then, careful not to make too much noise, he continued on, calmer than he had been in days.

He followed the sweet, sorrowful scent of lavender and tears until he came upon the small, hunched figure of his quarry - his Hinata - curled around herself at the base of a tree. The stream was bubbling and flowing away, as if a whole world had not been crushed, as though it had no inkling as to why this girl was so upset.

Kiba Inuzuka, despite how detached and carefree he always was, felt his heart break in two.


	5. Failure

A/N - So I'm really sorry this took so long. University is so hectic! This is another Hinata chapter. You'll notice that I've actually gone back and continued from Chapter 3, so that by the end of this Chapter 5 it ends up being the same moment as the end of Chapter 4. I really wanted the result of Kiba and Hinata's meeting at the river to be shown through Kiba's eyes, so I went back and wrote about the actual confession so I could end it with Kiba standing over her XD

I also have to apologize for my horrible characterization of Naruto; you have no idea how hard it is to write him!

Enjoy, and feel free to review! :D

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"Ah, Hinata, did you see the new ramen bar they built on the main street? It's down near the Academy, which is great, because now there's a ramen bar on either end of the village! Not that I'll be eating at the new bar, of course, since Ichiraku's got the best ramen and they give me a discount there because I eat so much, but it's good to know that if I'm ever dying of hunger near the Hokage's Residence I won't have to crawl all the way to Ichiraku's to get a meal!"

Despite the openness with which Naruto was talking, Hinata found it hard to concentrate and return his enthusiasm, what with his hand so close to hers as they walked side-by-side down the alleys on the way to... wait... where were they going again?

With a smile plastered to her face to show him she was listening, she ran through the conversation they'd had so far - which wasn't a great hassle, considering that she had barely spoken a word, and it was easy enough to skim over the topics that Naruto had brought up - and she recalled the moment they had left the Hokage's Residence, and their discussion on where to go.

Ah, that was right. He had offered to show her his house.

The sudden urge to run coursed through her arms and legs, despite the fact that, not ten minutes earlier when he had suggested the notion, she had nodded and accepted his invitation gratefully. For a moment her head spun and she could feel her crystal eyes rolling back into her head. The world tilted at a sickening angle and she felt herself falling.

But just as suddenly a hand was on her arm, steadying her, bringing her back down to earth. Behind her fluttering eyelids she thought she saw Kiba standing before her, looking down at her in concern, as he usually did when she became dizzy and disoriented - which was a lot of the time, admittedly.

Instead, she found herself looking up at ocean-blue orbs, made so much brighter by the contrasting golden spikes of hair that fell haphazardly over them. Calm descended and she studied her distorted reflection in the forehead protector he wore on his brow; her skin was paler than usual, she noted distractedly, perhaps from the stress of the past month and her intense planning of this very moment.

So far, her plan was failing.

Hinata reluctantly averted her gaze, blinking rapidly to gain some kind of perception. Her hand was warm, and with a quick wiggle of her fingers she found the source of the warmth to be Naruto's hand, which was tightly gripping hers. It seemed he had stalled her fall, for his other arm was holding her shoulders and stopping her from reaching the ground by a mere centimetre or two.

"Hinata," he demanded, still not accustomed to her dizzy spells despite years of training alongside her, "What's wrong?"

"Ah..." The groan escaped her lips before she could silence it; it wasn't of pain, or annoyance, just frustration, more at herself than anyone else. Why did she have to be so incapable of even the simplest of tasks? Academy students these days were confessing their love for each other without batting an eyelid; why was it so difficult for her? It's not as if she hadn't had the opportunity to think it over; she had pondered and wondered and doubted and hoped for at least seven years now. There were much greater issues at hand, and yet she could not work up the courage to speak of _feelings_?

"Hang on, Hinata. My house is just around the next corner," Naruto explained, dropping her trembling hand and ducking his under her knees instead. He tested her weight - which would never have been an issue for him, having trained so vigorously - and then stood, bounding off in the direction they had been walking in.

The feeling of being carried was heady, and Hinata had to close her eyes, pretending she was somewhere else; anywhere but in Naruto Uzumaki's arms, being carried the way a... a... a _bride_ would!

It was only a short jog to their destination, and Hinata reluctantly opened her eyes, her curiosity overpowering her flight instincts for that fraction of a second.

The house they were standing in front of was not grand or fancy, as she had imagined. It looked just the same as any other building on this street, and she was sure she'd walked past it many times before. The outer walls were an orange colour, as was custom in most of Konoha, the windows shuttered but open, the wind blowing at the bright coloured curtains she could see between the slats of wood. The windows and awnings had been cleaned recently, but she doubted that Naruto had done it himself; she could just imagine Sakura coming around, fussing over every single speck of dirt.

That thought brought her up short, a pang of something close to jealousy piercing her stomach. She closed her eyes again to try to shield herself from it.

Naruto misinterpreted her emotional pain as physical and he strode towards the doorway, kicking at the doorknob to open it. "I never lock the door, so if you ever need me, you just come straight in," he ordered sternly, stepping over the threshold and making a beeline for the sofas, which were tucked away in the corner of the first room. The home smelled of rich pine and spices, but there was a musky smell that she knew was Naruto, further proof that this was indeed where he lived.

Despite Hinata's inaccurate vision of the outside of the house, she had imagined the inside perfectly. As Naruto gently placed her on the nearest couch, which was worn and comfortable, she ticked off a mental checklist of the things she could see; mismatched furniture, nick-nacks of all shapes and sizes, photos of great importance in an assortment of frames. The walls were painted in warm hues, a deep orange being one of the more predominant colours.

Through an archway to her left she could see a small part of what must have been the kitchen; the benchtops were covered in leftover meals and shinobi tools, a kettle and toaster the only things that looked like they should be there. Once Naruto had ascertained that she was awake and alert, he strode purposefully through that arch, and from the other side of the wall she could hear banging and the sound of running water.

She gave herself a moment to think. She was in Naruto's home - Naruto's _home_! - and so far she was having trouble controlling herself the way she wanted to. As always, she tried to see things from a shinobi standpoint, using facts and being objective. In terms of a mission, this could almost be considered a failure, but there was still a chance to redeem herself. She swallowed painfully, feeling more than a little anxious at what she was about to do, and whether she would actually be able to go through with it.

Naruto returned, holding a tall glass of water in one hand and a thin blanket in the other. He placed the glass on the rickety table beside the sofa, and leant over Hinata with the blanket, wrapping it around her shoulders. "You've been doing too much training lately, Hinata," he said seriously as Hinata cautiously reached around herself and tugged the blanket closer. "I'm worried about you. You need to take care of yourself more."

Hinata's heart began beating madly at the thought of Naruto being 'worried about her'. Her face flushed bright red, and she reached for the glass of water to forestall the trembling which she knew would start at any moment. She took a mouthful of the cool liquid and noted that it tasted funny; Naruto must have stirred in one of Sakura's tonics to give her some extra strength. The thought made her just a little bit jealous, but the tonic was enough to aid her courage, and she set the glass down again.

_Like a mission_, she said to herself. _This is just like a mission._

Hinata let her eyes seek his out. He was closer than she had thought, and she had to quell the fluttering nausea that tried to grip at her stomach. His eyes were tight, his mouth set in a hard line; this was his serious face. She was seeing it more and more these days.

"N-N-Naruto-kun..." she began softly, "T-t-there's... there's something I want to tell you." The words came out faster and easier than she had expected, and she blinked.

Naruto didn't seem to notice. His face had lost its serious expression and instead he looked interested. "Ahh really? What is it?" He contemplated for a moment, then said, "It can't be about Sasuke, because you already said you hadn't heard anything..."

"N-no, it's not about S-Sasuke..." she clarified, unwrapping herself from the blanket and rising to a stand. "It's... it's about you, actually."

He seemed taken aback, blinking rapidly. "Me?"

The kunoichi's heart fluttered and she swallowed painfully. "Y-yes..." She whispered, knotting her hands together in front of her. Her jounin vest suddenly felt very tight and very warm. "I've been... meaning to tell you f-for a w-while now," she stuttered.

Naruto looked her directly in the eye. "What is it?" He repeated. His face was alight with interest, and Hinata faltered. What if he didn't want to hear it? What if his interest in her answer turned to anger, or embarrassment?

But by now the words were tumbling out of her mouth and it was impossible to hold them back. "Well, I -" she bit her lip out of habit, and then proceeded without holding back, the adrenalin rushing through her veins. Her eyes were clearest crystal. "I'm in love with you, Naruto-kun!"

For one long, drawn-out moment, there was nothing but the whistling of the wind as it swept through the open window, and then there was only an unvoiced tension that seemed to hang between the two of them. Hinata watched Naruto for some sign, any kind of emotion that differed from the blank interest he had showed moments before.

It took a few heartbeats, it seemed, for the words to sink in. Hinata's breath came short as she watched his face fall. He averted his pure eyes and his constant grin disappeared, replaced with a slight frown that would have seemed ominous even in the best of situations.

"I..." His voice was hoarse, and he cleared his throat, holding his hands out to her in a gesture close to an offering, though there was nothing he could give her. "I'm sorry, Hinata," he murmured, "I have someone I am in love with too."

Hinata's eyes darted across his face as panic began to set in. Her mind was working overtime, but her emotions had not kicked in yet; the blow had been swift and relatively painless.

She blinked a few times, and then said, "Sakura-chan?"

Naruto looked across at her for a moment, and then nodded. "Yeah."

Ahh, there it was. Hinata felt the jealousy clutching at her stomach, followed by the tide of other emotions that she had been waiting for. They crashed over her all at once, overwhelming in their power, and she stopped breathing.

She had failed.

A shuddering sob threatened to break free from her chest and so she raised a hand to her mouth, biting her lip until it bled. With speed she did not know she possessed she threw herself towards the door, ignoring Naruto's shouts of "Hinata!" and twisting the doorknob so hard that it nearly broke clean off. She flew out into the fading light of evening and down the street, not paying any attention to anything but trying not to cry. She couldn't cry. She couldn't...

She did. The thick tears that she had refused herself rolled down her cheeks in cascades as she ran, leaving dirty trails on her skin and collecting in her unbound hair. She tripped and fell, scraping her hands painfully on the gravelly sand of the outer-village streets, and a sob tore from her throat as the pain lanced up her forearms.

She was certain that Naruto had not followed her; she could not feel his presence at all.

With much difficulty and less motivation than she had ever felt, she raiser herself onto her feet and started to run again. She had no idea where she was, nor did she care; she just wanted to get away, to hide, to find a quiet place to stay for a while, or forever.

It wasn't until she reached the white walls of the Hyuuga compound that she stopped short. She took two deep shuddering breaths and sprinted away as fast as possible; as much as she was hurting she knew she did not want to be anywhere near that place. She did not want to see the disdain in her father's eyes, nor the contempt in her sister's. She knew she would not be able to handle that.

And so she found herself in the only other place she really ever visited. The training grounds were empty now, with the encroaching darkness painting the forests black. It was peaceful here, a place of tranquility once the training was over.

The quiet made her sorrow all the more hard to bear.

With a heavy heart and her body aching, she carried herself to the nearby river, her palms stinging and bleeding out into her jacket sleeves. She tripped again and collapsed forward into the shallows, inhaling water. Panicking and spluttering, she hauled herself and her now waterlogged clothes onto dry land again, dragging herself up onto the bank and into the hollow of a nearby tree.

When she was safe, shivering from cold and exhaustion, the tears came even faster. She curled in on herself and covered her face with her arms, sobbing as though her heart would break.

But her heart was already in pieces, shattered by a dream that she felt she never should have had. What had she been thinking, confessing to Naruto? Only someone as stupid as she was would ever think up such an insane plan. She had been a fool to think he would ever accept someone like her, a failure as a shinobi and as a human. She couldn't even control her emotions; it seemed as though her body had a will of its own now, and there was nothing she could do to stop the tears from coming, to calm her shaking, or control her erratic, self-depricating thoughts.

The passage of night seemed to take years, and when light finally appeared through the thick canopy of the forest close to midday Hinata was still dazed and out-of-sorts, her emotions running rampant and her face tight and tear-stained. One moment she was silent, and the next the pain would return and the sobbing would start. s

It was during one of the more painful moments when Hinata felt a shadow pass over her, and she started. It wasn't often that someone could get this close to her without her knowledge, and she prayed that it was a stranger, someone she did not know. It would be far too embarrassing and distressing for someone like Tenten or Ino - or god-forbid, _Sakura_ - to find her.

So when she opened her eyes and found herself looking up at Kiba Inuzuka through a sheet of salty tears, she felt as though another, perhaps even harder, blow had been dealt to her.


End file.
